Feds: Far-Right ‘Boogaloo Bois’ Member Fired AK-47 At Minneapolis Police Station, Yelled ‘Justice For Floyd!’

Topline

A self-described member of the far-right, anti-government “Boogaloo Bois” has been charged with participating in a riot after prosecutors said he fired 13 rounds from an AK-47 into a Minneapolis police building a few days after the death of George Floyd, as evidence grows that white supremacists and members of far-right groups played a role in fueling some of the unrest after Floyd’s death.

Key Facts

Crucial Quote

“The Boogaloo Bois are a loosely-connected group of individuals who espouse violent anti-government sentiments,” prosecutors said in a news release. “The term ‘Boogaloo’ itself references an impending second civil war in the United States and is associated with violent uprisings against the government.”

Key Background

President Donald Trump has consistently blamed the loosely-organized leftist group antifa for causing rioting in U.S. cities after Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody, but it appears right-wing groups had a major role in inciting the unrest. Several affiliates of white supremacist and far-right groups have since been charged for their role in the rioting after Floyd’s death. Accusations of unrest caused by the far-right have continued, such as when a caravan of Trump supporters rode into Portland, Oregon in August, leading to deadly unrest. Also in late August, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who made posts sympathetic with the far-right on social media, allegedly traveled from his home in Illinois to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he shot three protesters, killing two.

Tangent

One of the most notable examples of a member of a white supremacist group inciting a riot after Floyd’s death is that of a 32-year-old man nicknamed “Umbrella Man.” He was seen in a video in May smashing storefront windows and encouraging protesters to loot while holding a black umbrella. Minneapolis police said protests had been “relatively peaceful” up until “Umbrella Man.”

Further Reading

Trump Praises Supporters In Caravan After Deadly Portland Protests (Forbes)

What We Know About Kyle Rittenhouse, The 17-Year-Old Charged In The Kenosha Shootings (Forbes)

Mystery ‘Umbrella Man’ Vandal From Minnesota: Police Say He’s A White Supremacist Instigator (Forbes)